


Riptide

by littleststargazer



Series: Riptide [1]
Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Female Peter Parker, Harry Osborn is a good bro, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Penny Parker - Freeform, Precious Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-23 12:16:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18151778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleststargazer/pseuds/littleststargazer
Summary: Being a teenage girl is hardBeing a teenage girl with spider powers is even harder(The story was previously called “the beginning" but that was too plain, so..)





	Riptide

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So, I don't have a lot of confidence, and I'm really new to this but I know that the only way I'll get better is if I keep writing! So! Here we go! 
> 
> Also I know that some of the characters are OOC. There's so many versions of them and it's herd to keep up, so I gave up and I'm just giving it my own spin. 
> 
> This is gonna be a mashup of the comics, movies, Avengers movies, SM:HC and maybe some USM elements thrown in! 
> 
> Nice comments are always appreciated! Thank you so much for stopping by! 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at @littleststargazer

Penelope “Penny” Parker woke up to the ever annoying screech of her alarm clock. She groaned and blindly tossed a hand out in the general direction of the clock, smashing her hand down. The noise abruptly cut off and she sighed in relief at the sweet, sweet silence.

Sleep had just begun to drag her back under when three sharp knocks sounded at her door. She groaned and pulled the blanket over her head, hiding from the world like a turtle.

Some people could roll out of bed, annoyingly bright eyed and ready to conquer the day and whatever it threw at them.

Penny was not one of those people.

“Penny!” her aunt called through the door. “It's time to get up! I don’t want you to be late for school!” The girl groaned and burrowed into her warm comforter for just a moment more before reluctantly starting her day.

Uncle Ben, who had been leaning against the counter and nursing a cup of coffee playfully ruffled her as she walked past. She swatted at his hand, but gave him a smile nonetheless.

“Morning, Pen.” He greeted, far too cheerful for 7 am.

“Mornin’ Uncle Ben.” She replied, pouring herself a bowl of cereal and taking a seat. Ben pushed away from the counter and joined his niece at the table.

“Are you excited for today?” He asked her over the brim of his mug. Penny blinked in confusion for a moment, brain still foggy from sleep before she remembered. It was Harry’s 13th birthday today! How could she forget something so important? Harry was her best, and pretty much only friend, and to celebrate they were going to spend the whole day together at his penthouse after school, followed a sleepover back at her place. This would be her first sleepover ever, and she was practically bursting with excitement.

Penny began to rapidly shovel the cereal into her mouth and Uncle Ben chuckled at her enthusiasm.

“I’m going to take that as a ‘yes.’” He joked and shook his head good-naturedly. Penny downed the last of the milk and tossed the bowl in the sink, pressing a kiss to Ben’s cheek on her way out.

“ _GottagoloveyoubyeUncleBen_!” She yelled as she raced out into the hallway. Ben heard the closet door open, the front door shut, and the rapid receding of skateboard wheels on pavement. May walked into the room and stood behind Ben, putting a hand on either shoulder and resting her chin on top of his head.

“I’m so glad she’s made a friend,” May cooed, a tinge of pride in her voice, and Ben couldn’t help but grin.

They had only been married for a year when Mary and Richard had died. It scared Ben to see how frantic and upset May had become after learning that they would be taking in the girl. Dealing with a wife who didn’t want his own family in their home was a can of worms he wasn’t eager to open, but May had surprised him later that night in bed when they had been talking. She confessed that the reason she had been so upset was that she was afraid that she wouldn’t be good enough for Penny. That she’d mess up, and not be able to give her the kind of love she needed.

He assured her that whatever happened, they’d get through it together. That the two of them could do anything, and take whatever life threw their way. As long as they had each other.

The next day, Ben and May met Penny at the airport, and like a moth to a flame, May fell in love instantly. At that moment, she promised to love and protect her as if she were her own, and through a bit of trial and error, May had filled the maternal role in Penny’s life. The little family had been through hard times, ones that nobody should have to go through, but they only found themselves even closer than before.

Ben thanked God every night for the woman he’d found, and the daughter he’d gained and as he sat here at the table with the love of his life across the table sipping her tea and his niece skateboarding her way to school, he knew that life just couldn’t get any better.

\---------------

Penny pulled her board to a stop in front of the school, high on adrenaline from her near miss with the curb and thankful her asthma wasn’t acting up and waved to Ned who was just getting out of his mother's car. She tucked her board under her arm and made her way into the school, carefully weaving herself through the bodies crowding the hallways. She turned the corner but was stopped short as she smashed into someone, flinging her skateboard off into never-neverland. She hit the ground with a surprised “ _Oof_!”

Instead of taunting, or perhaps a flurry of apologies, a warm chuckle accompanied by a pale hand reached out to her. She looked up into the eyes of her best friend, Harry Osborn, and beamed. She took the offered hand and bounced to her feet.

“Happy birthday, Harry!” She exclaimed, wrapping herself around him with the strength of a python. He indulged her for a moment and wrapped his arms around her in return. When he tried to break the hug, the girl only held on tighter.

“Penny.” He sighed in a fondly exasperated kind of way.

“Nope! There is no escaping the birthday hug!” She declared, then rubbed her nose into his ridiculously soft sweater because he smelled like laundry detergent and fancy cars and leather couches and Harry, and it was one of her favorite smells. With a final squeeze, she let go and glanced up into amused blue eyes.

“Thanks, Penny. I’m surprised you remembered,” he murmured, and his voice had become bit too quiet for Penny’s liking. She felt a pang of sadness and wanted nothing more than to latch onto him again and hug all the sadness out. Harry had confided in her that his dad had forgotten his past few birthdays, and was worried he was going to do the same this year. From the way his shoulders sagged and he refused to meet her eyes, Penny knew he had.

What a jerk.

“How could I forget? It’s all I’ve been talking about for like, the past week,” she smiled, poking him in the ribs. “I already have everything set up for tonight. Uncle Ben said we can’t watch any scary movies, though. I had some pretty bad nightmares last time. But he did say we could make a fort in the family room!” Penny’s voice rose with her excitement, and by the time she had finished speaking her hands were clasped together in front of her chest, eyes shining.

Operation ‘cheer Harry up’ must’ve worked, because his eyes gained the slightest sparkle and a shy smile tugged at his lips.

“A pillow fort?” He asked, biting his lip to hide his obvious childish excitement. Penny only nodded, rocking forward onto her toes.

“Do you have popcorn?” He questioned, and Penny stopped.

“Um, _duh_.” She said, setting her face into the most offended expression she could muster. Harry chuckled, and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by something bumping into his ankle. He looked down, to see a familiar skateboard at his feet.

“Hey, my board!” Penny exclaimed, snatching it up and glancing over it for scratches. She briefly made eye contact with a blonde haired boy, foot posed as if he had just kicked a ball and watching them with a conflicting expression. He only shrugged and walked away, slipping seamlessly into the crowd.

Eugene Thompson was kind of odd. He never talked to anyone, and when he did it was always some kind of snarky comment. He went out of his way to avoid interaction, but was always there at the edge of the crowd, watching others go about their business with a kind of longing in his eyes that made Penny remember the days before Harry. With those thoughts in mind, she’d try to talk to him, maybe invite him to sit with her and Harry at lunch, but whenever he saw her coming he’d run away as if they they were trying to kill him.

As if reading her mind, Harry said, “he’s kinda weird.” Penny only rolled her eyes and hefted her backpack higher on her shoulders, linking her arm with his and pulling him into the sea of students.

“You’re one to talk,” she retorted, and Harry only laughed, his response drowned by the bell.

\---------------

They had a routine.

Every day she and Harry would meet by their lockers, then wait under the tree out front for his driver. Making a game of it, she’d skate on the sidewalk next to his car as long as she could keep up, and Harry would time it. Today would be different. Today she’d be in the car instead of trying to keep up with it.

She was on the edge of her seat, ready to pounce like a cat stalking its prey, and today her prey just happened to be the dismissal bell. The second it rang she sprung to her feet and raced out the door, only slowing at her teacher’s startled reprimand.

Just as she was giving the lock code a good scramble Harry appeared behind her shoulder.

“Did you run here?” Penny spun around, book poised above her head to whack her attacker.

“ _Jeepers_ , Harry! Don’t scare me like that!” she scolded, and fisted her hand in the fabric over her chest. “You could’ve given me a heart attack! I could’ve _died_. I could’ve died and it would’ve been _all your fault_.” Harry let out a quiet laugh and spun the code to his locker.

“Alright, _Daphne_. Don’t be so dramatic. Look, I’ve got something for you,” he opened his locker and retrieved his backpack. Unzipping it, he removed a blue lanyard with a glossy card clipped on the end and held it out to her. The card had the radioactive green OsCorp logo on the top, followed by a picture of her face, then her date of birth and the words ’level 5’ printed in the same color as the logo. She hesitated, but took the card from his outstretched hand and flipped it over. On the back was a bar code, but instead of the standard black ink marks there were tiny strips of metal.

“Harry?” She questioned, disbelief in her voice. She wondered why he had given the card to her. Maybe she needed it to get into the living area? Harry only gave a tiny smile and put his hands in his pockets.

“I know how much you love science, so I managed to pull a few strings,” he brushed a strand of his hair back nonchalantly and Penny gaped.

“Holy cow! Harry, is this- is this an _access pass?_ ” Harry shrugged and was rewarded with a tackle hug. He brought his arms around her and reluctantly gave into the second attack of the day.

“This is amazing!” she said as she released him. “You didn’t have to do this, especially on your birthday.” Harry only smiled and started walking towards the front entrance, leaving Penny to scramble after him with all the grace of a newborn foal.

“It's not a big deal, Pen. Plus, it's not like you’re the only one getting something out of this.” Penny caught up to Harry and raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” she asked and hefted her backpack higher on her shoulders.

“Have you _seen_ yourself talking to your idols? It’s hilarious. You go all red and can’t stop stuttering.” Penny wished she still had that book in her hands so she could whack that smug grin off of Harry’s face. Instead, she simply rolled her eyes.

“I’m glad my misery makes you happy.” She drawled, and Harry bumped his shoulder with her’s.

“Consider this payback for not telling me about your birthday last month.”

“Hey! I just- don’t like the attention.” She had only been friends with Harry for a few months, and dreaded that she’d end up annoying or burdening him to the point of not wanting to be around her. She was scared she’d lose him, her only friend, and promised herself she would take whatever measures- no matter how ridiculous- to keep him in her life. And if that meant ‘forgetting’ to tell him about her birthday, then so be it.

Harry only rolled his eyes. “Am I ever going to figure you out Penelope Parker?” He asked, and held the heavy steel door open, sweeping a hand in a ‘go ahead’ gesture.

Penny simply stuck her tongue out and marched through the door. Harry shook his head fondly and followed her to the car by their tree.


End file.
